Serving-table for restaurants.



A. c. PAST. SERVING TABLE FOR RESTAURANTS,

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1909. RENEWED IAY 13, 1910. r 978,572, g Patentad 15m A. G. FAST. SERVING TABLE FOR RESTAURANTS.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 12, 1909. RENEWED MAY 13, 1910.

0 1 9 1 3 1 G e D d e LIU .H m a P A. G, PAT. SERVING TABLE FOR RESTAURANTS.

APPLUATION FILED JUNE 12, 1909. RENEWED MAY 13, 1910.

I 978,572. Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

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I woe/m oz h A. 0. FAST. SERVING TABLE FOR RESTAURANTS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12, 1909. RENEWED MAY 13 1910.

A. c. FAST. SERVING TABLE FOR RESTAURANTS. APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 12, 1909. RENEWED MAY 13, 1910.

978,572. Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

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AUGUST C. EAST, OF EAST ORAN GE, NEW JERSEY.

SERVING-TABLE FOR RESTAIlRANTS.

stasis.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 13, 1910.

' Application filed June 12, 1909, Serial No. 501,760. Renewed May 13, 1910. Serial No. 561,177.

To all whom it may concern: Be it knownthat I, Auocs'r C. FAST, of East Orange, Essex county, New Jersey, have invented a new and iisefulIiuprove ment in Serving-Tables for Restaurants, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

l invention relates to improvements in servmg tables for restaurants, and is espeeiall'y intended as an improvement on the resent usual system of service in quick unch ms'tanrauts, althouglrmy nvention is not hnutedjtouse in any particular class of {5 places" of this' character;

. -a' systeni by which a series of customers can The object of my invention is to produo fsitfitown at the .table; place theirorders W1 ut assistance in an order box or money box,'ha'.'ing the sumeflvitljij the, price auto;

matically delivered to'T-he kitchen or other.

place from which the foodisseryed, and then having: the ordered materials delivered neatly'hnd quickly and -without the assistance of waiters. All this to theend that'the ;iiervice uiay bebettered the use of waiters and other assistants dispensed with, the

-: ci1stomeir satisfied and well served without the need of tipping, andacon sequent great economy to the restaurantlgeeper. In other 3 weed -.1 series of c istome'i's'can he waited byjmy improved device automatically, and the. mechanism will do the work ofa opi ps of assistants. "My invention is further intended to progivehisi order so that noone'kn'ows but himself what he is doi 11g, and can have the same delivered to him without its being inspected or handled'ib'y any one except thepartywho places the food and tray 0n the .delivery' a "paratns. -jThiswill be understood from n e description,lvvhich' folloyvs. "f "j Reference is'to be had to'the accompanyingdriiwi'ng's forming a part of this s ecifi-- cation, 1111 which slm -lan reference '0 arac- Fig. 2 1s a brokentplan-ih'eiv' thereof. Fig. 3'15 a cross section of theapparatus.

4 is a development of the electrical. switch inp; device -iby vhich the 'food traysare switched tothe appropriate customers.

Fig. 5 is anifinlarge'd detail of the switch controlling device: Fig. 6 is a perspective of the form of money box suitable for the purpose of the apparatus. Fig. 7 an enlarged detail perspective view shorting the shutters operating-in connection with the food slides. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail puuehin apparatus used in connection the punches. Fig. 10-is'a detail view'in perspective of the carriers attachedto their re-' a tray .from the serving table.

framewor 10 whichcan be made of any framework serving to boxin the operating 'of an elongated counter or'table, and ,it-has for delivery back .'to' the kitchen. The-par tition 11 has at intervals and op indicated so that thedevice'canbe-rea and trayreeeivcr should be-ari'ange in, the

general way of the customer.

and 24, one of which should betur-ned by purpose I have indicateda pulley 25 on the crating the carriers is not essential.

The carrying cable 20 is provlded with a presently referred to,

suitable number of carriers 19, which are able. It will have the general appearancesome suitable driving means, .and fOr. this shaft 24 and a belt 26 connectinig thepulley, with the driving: shaft 27 of a. suit-able Inotorr- 28. Obviously. however. the means for op-x-l.

front elevation of the order-blanks and the therewit and Fig. 9 isa detail of one of spcctive cables and showing a carrier taking The ap aratus 1s provided with'ii' appropriate design and which can be con- 3 .tlnuous and .of any necessarylength, the

mechanism and to make the device p'resentpreferabgv'an upright portion 11 which is in thereon can berea'dily insertedin the holder' 35 site to i where a customer is seated, a. sui-ta le-open ing 16 through which a tray of foodis dej-T livercd on the slide 17 'which is'provided with .a suitable handlelS', All thoahtive is y "understood, but the form and materialsfiof this general part of the ,strueture 'are-jiot essential, except that the food openin table indicated, for the convenience y The food trays are delivered to the enstomers' by ,means of an endless -qahle 2,0

which can be in the form of a -belt, rope, or other carrying device, and it'runs'over'fslnt- E able pulleys 21 and 22 carried by shafts-2% carrier 19 comes tray and.-carry slotted table 29 which has vent displacing of the fasterml to the cable so as to travel therewith, and each carrier has preferably a flange 19 on the back edge so that a food tray will not readily slip off. The space between the pulley 21 and the first table and pulley can be filled up with boards or plates 1!) if desired. The carriers 19 atone end of the apparatus come up through the the purpose as shown in Fig. 2, and the said table has preferably side flanges 30.t0 pre trays, and is otted as shown at 31 on one side for the passage of the cable 20. The party who is filling the order places a tray of food.- thut is the sevs cral dishes and tray, on a table 29 and pushes the same forward slightly so that when 41 around it will pick up the it forward to the customer, where it is "delivered by the following mechanism.

Then thz tray with the ordered dishes 'thercon reaches the appropriate table, the

tray comes in contact with a switch arm 32 whichextends obliquely across the path of the carrier 19 but a little and this switch arm is pivoted as shown at 33 and held firmly in place by a light spring 34. The several switch arms in the path of .the carriers arereadilypushed asideby the mechanism which will be food trays. but presently described locks the switch arm opposite the desired customer so that-the food tray striking is pushed ofi through the opening 12' and upon the slide 17 already referred to, and the customer pulls the slide forward and has his desired order-ready for use. i

To lock' theswitch arm the following mechanism is used: A forked plunger moves vertically through a guide 36 as shown in Fig. '5, and when this is raised it engages the switch arm and locks the latter.

securely, but whenitdrops; it falls out of the way of the switch arm and the latter turns freely. Obviously the plunger can be any engaging device operating in this general way indicated, but the form shown is preferred. As illustrated the plunger 35 rests at its lower end ,on a swinging armature 37 which is pivoted as shown at 38 to a I support. 39, and the armature is arranged opposlte a magnet 40. There is a magnet opposite each slidell', and they are all energized fion a common switchboard 40*, which can be located in the kitchen or wherever the orders are filled. This switchboard is divided into any number of sections m1 banks. which on the drawings are marked-A, B and C. Eachsection-lias plug openings 41 forming connections with the wires a which .are connected 'to the magnets and to a battery A. The battery'also connects with the bind f ing screws 42, there being one of these each section A, B a'nd C. Each binding an opening for- I operator in the kitchen fills the order,

the tray on the delivery table as alread de- 44 in the above the carrier,

the inclined switch arm Jhereon, in the receiver 14, and

pushed down or slides down upon the return carrier 56, and a necessary-numberof these 1 20:

-eratedin any screw also has a loose wire 43 with a pin 44 thereon, which can be inserted in one o the plug openings 41 to close the desired circuit. The. apparatus can be workedon either .an openor closed circuit, but I have 7( I shown it provided w'ith means for raising the plunger 35 when a magnet iq-isexcite or energized. 1 VVewill sa for-instance, that a customer'at table 11 is to be served. The,

scribed, and then inserts a plug plug opening numbered 11. This closes the circuit through the appropriate I attery, lifts the plunger 35 and locks the desired switch'so arm 32, so that when the said arm is reached the food tra and delivere to the customer as already -de-. scribed.

I t is desirable to sight of other'customers as it passes therespective openings 16, so that the sight of any particular dish will not be disagreeable, ,and.

further to prevent a customer from reach'- ing through the opening andtaking food to him. 'To provide for this each slide 17 is provided withuraclgg 45 which meshes with a pinion 46 tlirni nmon I The pinion is ide.; meshes with a vertical rack '48'whi'ch 'conwhich does not belong a suitable support 47.

nects by an arm 49 with the shutter 50, the,

latter sliding in suitable ways 51. The op I posite side-.oI-Jthe pinion 46 also with a 'rack"52 moving vertically portedon'an connects and sup-.

own I"'or nearly closed. \Vhen, however, the customer pulls out the slide 17 to receive'his food, the rack 45 turns the pinion'46,.-and this aeting on the forwgrrdimck 48 raises the so that the. food passes freel the rack 52 on theback si e 46 is moved downward, thus carryingdown shutter 50 v under it, while the shutter 54' and cutting off the other travs 1 10 which may pass along with. the cable 5. 0. Obviously other means can be substituted for moving the shutters, or'a sin 'le shutter can be used ifdesired,without-"ail principleof the invention. I

After a customer has finished, hejor an'assistan't deposits'his tray with the dishes are secured to a cable 57 which moves over a pulley 58 mounted on iii shaft 59 and also the pulley 60 moves over and is carried t'terulleyconneets on the shaft 61. This In by a belt 62 with the drivin shaft 27 ill-12 ready referred to, but as stated, it can be op- The table 57 desired way. moves in the opposite directionto the table. 20 so as to return the dishes to the kitchen.

When'a returnearrier reaches the pulley 130 laces 75' striking it will be deflec ed have the foodbutxdf 85' I ann53 o f .the-:shutter=54iwhich 10o moves in ways; 55. 1N,ormallv the shu'tter 54 v is. up and the shutter' 50 d of "the pinion ecting the the tray is ",j

mit the cable 57 to pass through". The table has one division or extension to re ceive the trays, and another division 66 to receive the-money and order box 67, this being shown in vision 66 has an opening 68 -next the pulley '60 so as to permit the abutment 68 on the carrier 56 to pass readily through; This abutment is for the purpose of pushing the money box 67 before it, and it is arranged opposite the division 66 already described and between the partitions or guide flanges 69 and 70 which. are arranged opposite the several table sections. A chute 71 leads from each section of the table 12 and delivers on the carrier 56 and in the path of the abutment 68, while a return chute 72 catches the money box when it is swept off the carrier 19 by the switch arm 32, and delivers it upon thetable 12 for the use of the customer. The form ofithis 'money box is not essential, but it should be sufliciently heavy to cause it to pass the free switch arms 32 and only be deflected by the rigid one. In connection with the appar: has I use order blanks which can be in the form of a paper roll 73, and the roll is supported on a bracket 74, and the paper sheet 75 is numbered in some appropriate way so that each number will represent a certain dish. By reference to Fig. 8 it will be seen that the numbers are consecutive on a series of connected blanks. The arrangement is like this. Fried eggs may be 19, boiled eggs 17, roast beef 12, etc. The customer then in placing his order simply punches the num ber representing the desired dish. The order blanks or paper sheets come out to thefront of the apparatus beneath the swinging flaps 76, and pass beneath suitable punches 77 which are mounted on brackets 78, after which the blanks pass beneath a cut-off blade 79. The customer pulls down the blanks, stopping opposite a-desired number as he does so, and strikes a punch so as to punch out the number desired; then he tears oft a. blank by means of the blade 79, deposits his order inthe money box 67, places the necessary amount of money in the box, and then pushes the box into the'chute 71 so that it carried to the kitchen and delivered into the division 66 of the table. The operator then fills the order, places the tray with the desired dishes on the table 22, places the money box there also together with any change, if there is any change coming tothe customenthen operates the desired switch arm to lock it, and the tray and money box are delivered to the customer as already described. I

Having thus fully described my inventable is slotted at 64 toper- Fig. 6. I The floor of the di-' tion, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent;-j

1. An apparatus of vthe kind described, comprising-a tahleya food carrier movable behind the table, swinging switch arms ex- .ten(iing ,across the carrier, movable 'plung'ers' toengage and-lock the switch arms, and selective means for operating the plungel-s.

2. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising atabie, a food carrier movable behindthe table, movable switch arms extending across the carrier, and electrically operated plungers to lock the switch arms.

3. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a table, a food carriermovable behind the table, spring retained but easily spring retained but'easily movable switch arms. extending across the carrier, a locking device foreach switch arm,

a magnet and armature'for operating each 1 locking device, and a switchboard by which a desired magnet can be energized.

4;. An apparatus of the kind described, comprising a table, afood carrier movable behind the table, selectively operated means for deflecting a food tray from the carrier to the table, and movable shutters between i the food carrier and the table to screen the food carrier.

An apparatus of the kind described, comprislnga table divided into sections, a

movable-. i'ood carrier behind the table, slides opposite the several sections toreceive the food from the carrier, and a shutter operated by the movement of theslide and arranged,vertically between the table and the food carrier.

*6. .The combination with the movable food carrier and the table, of the movable food slide, the oppositely moving shuttersarranged between the table and the .food carrier, and means for moving the shutters hythe movement of the slide.

7. The combination with the food carrier and;the movable food receiving slide, of a shutter arranged in front of the carrier. and means for operating the shutter by the move.- ment of the slide.

8. The combination with the food carrier and the movable slide adjacent thereto, of the opposite moving shutters in front of the carrier aml a rack and gear mechanism for o 'iposituly moving the shutters by the movement of the slide. i

f). In an apparatus of the kind described, the combination with the delivery and re.- turn carriers moving independently and in opposite directions and a table in front of the delivery carrier and above the return carrier. of means on said table for delivering a money box to said return carrier, and means fordelivering a money box from the table.

10. The combination with the table and the delivery and return carriers arranged adjacent thereto, of the numbered order blanks'arranged for delivery adjacent to the table. and means for punching and tearing oil :1 lalunk.

11. The combination with the [(UJIX'J can frier sup mrfed'on an endless cable running over pulleys of the cable and pulleys, a table at one and of sun] carnal and 111 nhnemenu Lherewith and-extending partly over the pulley and essentially on th'same level" with the. carrier, of means for retaining a money box on said carrier; and means for del ryermg 'smd box 1nt0 a dlVlSlOIlOf sand 15 table.

AUGUST C. FAST. \Vitnesqs: GEORGE KNIPPER,

GEORGE J. ALLEN. 

